Atrium expansion plans for Dilworth campus meet protests before City Council
Atrium Health’s planned expansion of its main campus in Dilworth faced mounting opposition from neighbors at a Charlotte City Council meeting Monday.
Atrium Health wants the city to rezone its 70-acre main campus in Dilworth to allow up to 425 multifamily units, a university or college, a hotel, a parking deck, medical offices, health institutions and open space. Atrium, Wake Forest Baptist Health and Wake Forest University announced last year that they would partner to bring the four-year medical school to Charlotte, but have released few details since.
Saju Joy, vice president and chief medical officer of the greater Charlotte region for Atrium Health, said the hospital system plans to build a new bed tower and rehabilitation hospital. He said the hospital’s facilities are outdated and can’t accommodate all of the need.
“Our emergency department is maxed out,” he said.
But the hospital’s rezoning request is opposed by neighbors concerned about the development encroaching on their homes. Atrium wants to build its facilities up to the end of Fountainview Road, as well as open space along that residential street, where the hospital owns several properties.
Deborah Edwards, who lives on Fountainview Road, expressed concern about the hospital’s “strategic creep” into the neighborhood. She’s worried about property values.
“Atrium’s checkerboarding of our neighborhood has created a complete monopoly on the remaining privately held homes,” she said.
There have been a number of changes in Dilworth a few blocks away along East Boulevard. Winston Salem-based developer Summit Healthcare Group purchased three properties along the street last year, and Abacus Capital purchased the Latta Pavilion building, which houses Bakersfield, Inishmore and other businesses.
Lee Teeter, who lives on Lombardy Circle near the development, said the “monster buildings” will hurt the neighborhood’s character. He said several of his neighbors have had trouble selling their homes with Atrium’s plans up in the air.
“There’s been a tremendous amount of stress and strain put on all the neighbors,” he said. “If they need to sell the house, who is going to buy?”
Mayor wants affordable housing
City Council member Julie Eiselt urged the hospital system to talk with the Dilworth neighborhood association about how the development can fit in with their broader vision for what the neighborhood should look like.
“I have struggled with that area,” she said. “I wish we could snap our fingers and have the comprehensive vision plan, but we don’t.”
Mayor Vi Lyles also said she would like the hospital to include affordable housing in its development, especially given that the hospital’s minimum wage is $13.50 an hour.
“The only way that it’s going to be possible for us to actually work and live in our city is that we use as many tools as we have to create affordable housing for people that are working every day,” she said.
In a statement provided by Atrium spokesman Chris Berger, the hospital said it is continuing to revise its plan as it receives feedback.
“Atrium Health has consistently met with representatives of neighborhood boards in the area to discuss the rezoning proposal, and we will continue to engage in additional community outreach to share our rezoning plan and development proposal with area residents,” Atrium said.
